This year on Survivor season 35, the contestants are divided into tribes of Heroes, Healers, and Hustlers.

SURVIVOR SEASON 35 PREMIERE RECAP

We meet Marine Corps Ben and wilderness therapy guide Cole, as well as “Sex Doctor” Mike. They are instructed by host Jeff Probst to take as much off their boat as they can before paddling them to an island with a burning urn. The first tribe to light their torch wins a first aid kit, second gets a flint, and third starts their endeavor on Survivor with nothing.

So season 35 starts with a bang, with the Healers lighting their torch first, and the Heroes second. “The Hustlers still trying to figure out what show they’re on,” Probst jokes as they struggle to get ashore. In the Healers group, Jessica is busy checking out Cole’s ripped body, while Joe believes he’s the most put together of them all. Mike is busy trying to find a buried idol, but not stealthily. Joe is onto him, and tells the tribe he wants Mike to draw a map to the island.

On the Heroes, Alan is already attempting to make alliances with Ben, Ashley, and JP, only to turn around a decide he will take on two of his own alliance members, specifically “power couple” Ashely and JP. Alan accuses JP of already having an idol, which JP denies, but weirdly bends over backward to prove.

The Hustlers are made up of Lauren, Ali, Patrick, Devon, and Ryan, and lucky Ryan found a super idol by the bananas in the boat. He can use it after the votes are read, but there are limitations. He can only play it at the first Tribal Council of the season, but additionally, if the Hustlers don’t lose the first immunity challenge, Ryan has to non-anonymously give the idol to someone of the losing tribe. Ryan decides to put his trust in surf instructor Devon and inform him of the idol.

Now we head to the first immunity challenge, which has the teams race up a cargo net, pull a heavy cart, hop in it, and careen to the bottom. The first tribe to do so gets to choose which puzzle they want, out of three. They then must complete the maze by getting two balls into three holes to win. The Healers came in first, the Hustlers in second, and the Heroes in dead last. So one of the Heroes is destined to leave the show. “Before last night, this vote was easy,” says Ashley. But its Chrissy who turns out to have a secret idol in her bag from Ryan.

Interestingly, after the vote, Katrina is the one voted out – Chrissy’s partner in crime. Even more interesting, Chrissy doesn’t use her idol to save her, and lastly most interesting, is that Chrissy voted for Katrina in the first place.

And so the premiere of Survivor season 35 comes to a close. This episode mostly spent time with the Heroes, so hopefully we can get to know the Healers and Hustlers a little better next week. Tune in next Wednesday at 8 pm on CBS for more.

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